Washing machine



Aug. 4, 1925.

' R. BENNET WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 25, '1920 5 SheebS-Sheeb `l nbr Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,247

R. BENNETT WASHING MACHINE Original Filedsept. 25, 1920 5 sheets-sheet 2 Aug. 4, 1925.

R.' BENNETT WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Sept.A 25, 1920 Fig. 71

Fig. ,6

. 3: Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. d, Y1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

RALPH BENNETT, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WASHING MACHINE Application led September 2.5, 1920,.Seri'al No. 412,888. Renewed September 18, l1924.

To allwhomz'tm concern: f

Be it known t at I, RALPH BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to and has for a main object the provision ofa machine for washing and drying garments and the like by means of which, 1n a single operation, the garments or clothes to be washed may first be thoroughly cleansed by forcing the cleansing water, or suds through them and finally rotating the container in which the garments are held for throwing olf the water by centrifugal force and drying them.

Another object of my invention is to eliminate the handling of the garments in the drying operation and to accomplish this by mechanical means.

Afurther object is to provide in a washing machine means for reciprocating a container in a body of water for thoroughly cleaning -`and washing the garments, and thereafter to rotate the said container with the garments therein, the cleansing water having been first drained olf into a suitable receptacle, for the purpose of drying the garments.

A still further object is to provide in a Washing machine a tub for holding the cleansing solution, a clothes container rotar' tably and reciprocablyheld therein for supporting the clothes during the washing and drying operations and a receptacle for receiving and holding the cleansing solution during the drying operation, means being also provided for transferring the solution from the tub to the said receptacle, and vice versa.

Another object is to provide in a washing machine means wherebythe` same cleansing water may be used over and over again for diiferent operations, and to this end I have provided a tub for holding water during the washing operation and a receptacle in communication therewith but separate therefrom, and means interposed in connections whereby the water maybe transferred from one to the other of said elements, for the purpose described. Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

Fig. lis a'sectional elevation of my ma- I chme.

or reciprocal;v

ig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified.-

form of -container in wh1ch wire .mesh 'is employed in lieu of the perforated sheetv metal shownin Fig. 4. i

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional elevations, in

lanes at right angles to eachother, of a new orm of pum by means of which the water is transferre from the tub to the receptacle,"

or vice versa.

Brieily described, my invention-includes.

a suitable frame, having standards En ami E2 and supports F1 and F2; a circular tubv D mounted on the upper portion thereof,

open at the top; a liqmd holding receptacle R held on said frame beneath`said tub;.al Y.

- .motor P ;v a clothes holder, or basket C rotatably and reciprocably held in the tub D; a jacket, having sides V1 and V2 for enclosing all of the elements ofthe machine and having hinged covers, Vs and V* and a pump S preferably supported in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Frame member FZ-carries a guide element J in which a cross head K is adaptedto slide and to this crosshead aV spindle Gr is attached and extends upwardly through and into the tub D, the lower end of spindle G having a nut g thereon within the cross head K, as shown in Fig. -1.

The holder or basket C may be made of sheet metal, `the sides and bottom having perforations 1, 1, etc., therein, as shown in ingJ arms C3 on which the basket may be` removably held and the outer ends C* of said arms `are bent at angles from the radial lines of the arms so as toform vanes which, when the tub is reciprocated will serve to impart an oscillatory motion thereto. This feature may or may not be necessary but can be uitlizcd if desired.

Hub 2 of basket C has a recess 4 and abore 5 to receive an upwardly extending sleeve H which is held on the bottom 6 of tub D by means of a flange 7, and basket C is thus slidably and lrotatably supported on said sleeve. The water level in the tub D 1s indicated by a line 8' and the sleeve H should extend substantiall above said water level so that the water 1n the tub may not leak out through the spindle bearing formed by said sleeve. The upper end of spindle G is reduced at 9 and is held in the closed end of the basket hub 4 and held by means of a nut 10.

Frame member F1 carries a bearing block B in which a shaft 11 is journaled and a crank gear M is fixed to one end of said shaft andmeshes with a driving pinion N carried on a countershaft 12 also held on said block. Gear M is connected with cross head K by means of a connecting rod L for reciprocating the spindle G, cross head K and basket C by means of the connections described whenever the gear M is rotated.

Shaft 12 carries a sheave O1 which is operated by means of a belt from a pulley 14 connected with motor P. Motor P may be supported on frame member F 2 asshown, or in other suitable position, and belt 13 may have a tightener pulley 15 suitably held, for purposes hereinafter described.

Spindle G carries a sheave Q2 adjacent to the top of the cross head guide J and is operated from motor P by means of a belt 16 over a pulley 17 connected with the motor P. Belt 16 also runs over a fixed pulley Qi and a tightener pulley Q4 which may be adjustable as to position so as to render the sheave Q2 operative or inoperative at will.

Pump S is connected with tub D by means of a pipe S1 and with receptacle R by means of a pipe Sz so that the water may be transferred backward'and forward from one of saidelements to theother at will. Said pump is operated by means of a belt 18 operating over a pulley 19 on the pump anda driving pulley 20 on the motor shaft and may also have a tightener pulley 15 for rendering'the pump operative or inoperative at will.

The pu'np is a particular feature of my mechanism and involves certain novel and e useful characteristics which I will now describe. Said pump consists of a casingS" which may have one side removable as at 21, and a shaft S8 having bearings in the members S5 and 21, a distributor S* fitting the bore of the casing and having aninterrupt# ed annular chamber 22 therein and an inlet passage 23 separated therefrom-by walls 24 and S, said passage extending inwardly so as to provide a substantial inlet around the axis of the shaft S8. The walls 24 and S of said distributor are curved and flared outwardly from 'the center, as shown in Fig. 7 and an impeller 25 is mounted on shaft S between the distributor-and the casing wall, as shown in Fig. 7.

The impeller has a. plurality of flared and outwardly curved vanes Sa formed thereon, the inner portions of which re 'ster with the mouth of the inlet 23 of the istributor, and said distributor has a plurality of outlet ports 26, 26 through which the water may be discharged at the periphery of the impeller into the chamber 22 of the distributor.

Distributor S4 has a hub 27 which extends through the side 21 of thecasing and carries a hand wheel S1 by means of which the outlet 28 of the distributor may be made to register with any one of the plural outlets 29, 29, etc., of the casing. Thel inlet 23 and outlet 28 of the distributor are arranged f at angles to each other, and it will be apparent that by the hand Wheel S7, the inlets and outlets may be arranged to suit. For instance, when the water is being transferred from the tub D to receptacle R the uppermost outlet 29 of the drawings muy be used as an inlet and the relatively right angular outlet 29 used as an outlet for delivering the water to said receptacle through pipe S2.

The belt tighteners 15, 15 and Q4 may be adjustably held relative to their respective belts, as shown in F ig. l, o n arms ai, b, and c, which are suitably pivoted on the frame at points d and e, and may be held in selected positions by means of shorter arms f, f, which carry pins h, h, adapted to seat in the perforations lc, le, formed in sectors m, m, suitably attached to the frame, or other- 'wise, the particular form of these devices being immaterial to my invention.

lVhen water is returned to tub D for use the distributor is adjusted so that the inlet vpassage 23 registers with the passage on the horizontal center line of the casing and connected with pipe S2 and the water will be discharged through another of the passages 28 of the distributor which is made to register'with the topmost passage of the casing connected with the pipe S1. The arrange ment of the outlets in the casing, the outlets in the distributor and the ports in the distributor may be made topmeet varying conditions and requirements and more or less may be provided if necessary.

In operation, the clothes are placed in the basket C and the motor P started. Pulley 15 is adjusted for tightening the belt 13` and pulleys 21 and Q* are disengaged from their belts, so that the reciprocating mechanism only will be operative, and the basket is thus reciprocated to a desired extent through the mea-ns described, the water being forced into and from the basket and into contact with the clothes therein until all of the clothes are turning the distributor by means of thoroughly cleaned. Thereupon, the water is drained from the tub D through pipes S1 and S2 and pump S into receptacle R, said pump having been iirst rendered operative by the adjustment of its tightener pulley 21 with belt 18.

Pulley Q4 is then adjusted for engagement with belt 16 and sheave Q2 and spindle Gr are then rotated for rotating the basket C with the clothes therein until the water shall have been partially extracted therefrom, after which the clothes may be removed and another operation may follow.

I have shown in Fig. 2 a` gas heater R2 beneath the receptacle R so that the water which is transferredfrom tub D thereto during each operation may be reheated for subsequent use. The tub D being higher than the receptacle R,l the water may be drained off by gravity to receptacle R, or the pump may be operated for accelerating the iiow of the Water. Of course when the water is returned to the tub it will be necessary to use the pump to lift the water to the, tub.

While not entirely essential, the water level in the tub should be such that the basket of clothes will be raised out of the water at each reciprocation thereof, for the purpose of providing a thorough aeration of the clothes.

The adjustmentof the distributor of the pump, in the manner hereinbefore-described will also serve to close communication between the tub and receptacle when the Water is to be held in either' of said members, and said pumpmust be adjusted at each operation for effecting the How of the water therethrough in the proper direction.

I may modify and alter arrangement and structure of my mechanism within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritl of` my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A 'washing machine comprising a frame, a housing inclosing said frame,- a receptacle stationarily held in the upper portion of said housing and open at the top, said receptacle having a central sleeve fixed thereto at the bottom, and extending substantiall upward therefrom, a pervious receptac e concentrically mounted in said stationary receptacle and having its walls spaced therefrom and provided with diagonally disposed vanes on the exterior thereof2 a hollow hub vfixed to the bottom of said ervious receptacle and extending upward y therefrom for inclosing said s eevc, a bearing on said frame concentric with said receptacles, a shaft rotatablyand slidably held in said bearing and in said sleeve and fixed at its upper end to the hub of said pervious receptacle, means for rotating and reciprocating said shaft and said pervious rece tacle at will, and means for lilling said stationary receptacle with and discharging a liquidy therefrom.

2. A washing machine comprising a frame, a housing inclosing said frame, stationary and movable receptacles in the upper portion of said housing, concentrically arranged, said movable receptacle being pervious and said stationary receptacle being impervious, concentric hub members on said receptacles telescopically arranged, a motor, gearing driven by said motor, operably connected with the hub of said pervious receptacle, and means also operated by said motor whereby said pervious receptacle may be reciprocated during the rotation thereof, at will.

3. A washing machine comprising a frame, a housing inclosing said frame, stationary and movable receptacles in the upper portion of said housing, concentrically arranged, said movable receptacle being pervious and said stationary receptacle being impervious, concentric hub members on said 'receptacles telescopically arranged, a transmission device operably connected with the hub of said pervious receptacle, whereby said pervious receptacle may be rotated at will, motor operated means for reciprocating the same, a storage reservoir mounted in the lower vportion of said housing and connected with said stationary receptacle, and a pump whereby the washing liquid maybe transferred from said receptacle to said reservoir, or vice Versa, at will, for the purpose described.

4. A washing. machine comprising a frame, a housing inclosing said fra1ne,'sta tionary and movable receptacles in the upper portion of said housing, concentrically arranged, said movable receptacle being pervious and said stationary receptacle being impervious,.concentric hub members on said receptacles telescopically arranged, a, transmision device operably connected with the hub of said pervious receptacle, whereby said pervious receptacle may be rotated at will, motor operated means for reciprocating the same, a storage reservoir mounted in the lower portion of said housing and connected with said stationary receptacle, a pump whereby the Washing liquid may be transferred from said receptacle to said reservoir, or vice versa, at will.

. RALPH BENNETT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. MONTGOMERY, LUTHER L. MACK.

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